If you want RWD, V8 and a stick... for cheap....like around $20K or under, you still have some choices. Take your pick from a Silverado, Dakota or F-150, I might be missing some. A V8 Ram is alittle more. A Hemi Ram is about $25K. What the V8 Colorado will be is open for guesses.

What do we think?

 

They're not that quick -- especially the Dakota. The base musclecars weren't that quick either, however. But I think the musclecars are a lot cooler than a pickup.

 

I think the SRT-4 embodies the muscle car spirit far more than a cheap v8 pickup.

 

Interesting how a v-8 car under 20k is impossible to accomplish, but not trucks? Wierd stuff.

 

It's about volume and simple designs.

These days, people expect a lot more out of cars than they did back in 1968, whereas trucks don't need to be quite a sophisticated in suspension or platform design. And if you're stamping out hundreds of thousands, that helps too.

 

So a stripper v-8 car under 20k could not be produced with the same hundreds of thousands of stamped parts that are used on other GM vehicles?

 

I don't know if they are the new musclecars, but I certainly think that the lack of availability of large, RWD, V8 sedans is what drove people into trucks and SUVS in the 90s in the first place.

 

I used to think that back in the late 90's, that was before the RWD revolution we are going though now.

I think a $20K V8 Colorado will shake things up though. The ZQ8 is a nice setup and with a V8 it will be everything the SSR wasn't.

Regular cab ZQ8 is about 3300lbs. add a 5.3L V8 and it will be a high 13's truck. This is what GM need to get edge on Toyota in the non-fullsize market.

 

I don't disagree. But if you must have the classic V8/RWD combo for around 20K or under, pickups are it.

I saw a pretty cool Silverado the other day. It was Victory Red, lowered with some aftermarket wheels, and had a white hockey stick stripe. It just showed that you could put together a pretty neat package for not too much money.

 

There are always quite a few older pickup trucks with beastly V8s running at our local 1/4-mile track.

I've had an itch to take a standard cab short bed 2WD half ton LATE model GM - like a GMT 800 or heck, maybe even a 900, and throw some flavor of massaged LSx motor in there.

 

As a homeowner down in 2wd country that type of truck is the prefect 2nd vehicle. 2WD Regular cabs are cheap, 5.3L's can use the same mods as LS1/LS2s, and as I see it, a pickup is a must have for just about any homeowner.

 

I gotta throw in my 2 cents here......I like rear wheel drive, I like a lot of space. I went out and drove all the trucks, all brands. I like a lot of torque, so I settled of a 2003 dodge ram 2500 long bed quad cab 2wd. show room stock, 6 speed manual, 3.73 limited slip, 5.9 Cummins turbo diesel...I get 21 mpg of diesel, I ran a 13.31 in the 1/4. trying to speed shift sucks, the gears are like a foot and a half apart, it's kinda like rowing a boat..use 2nd, 4rth and 5th, shift at 2500 rpms. no they are not cheap, and they have a little lag in them, but when the turbo kicks in, you feel it, cornering is less than optimum

add about $2000 in bolt on mods (electronics controller, lift pump, bigger exhaust and a low restriction air cleaner) and 850 lbs torque is easy to get..(you start with 610 lbs of torque stock) add propane injection and tires get shredded

If you want a truck, I encourage yall to go test drive one with the automatic...it will surprise you....

Check out

http://www.dhraonline.com/publications/webdocs/DHRA/

71 Camaro, roller cam 454 LS6, tremec TKO 600, 2.56 gears, berlineta t-top, New Mexico plate "RAT454"

 

I think its the other way around.

When pickups started getting an extended cab door people learned they could haul people like a big car would and with the power of a big car.

The difference being that they didnt have to have both the big car and a spare truck for utility needs. The two needs for transporting cargo and people could be merged into one monthly payment.

 

You ran a 13.31 stock?? Or was that at least with a new program?

 

HO prom...I cheated a little and put some 26.0x11.5-16LT M&H slicks on the back..(4 inchs shorter) on some old 8 lug steel wheels. looked kinda funny. but the wheels didn't go up in smoke on the line....

71 Camaro, roller cam 454 LS6, tremec TKO 600, 2.56 gears, berlineta t-top, New Mexico plate "RAT454"